Cross Stitch Update

I didn’t get a lot of cross-stitch time this week.  Things were crazy on the Grandma front.  Read about that HERE if you missed that.

I spent most of my time working on A Changed World.  I had ordered a frame for it when I got the border done and the frame came in.  That was just the push I needed to bump this up into my main focus piece.

Here is where I was last week.

This is from The Scarlett House. I am stitching this on 40 count Vintage Meadow Rue by Lakeside Linen.  I have a thread conversion from Country Sampler.

I completed the row above the houses.  That meant stitching the dogs and the tree on the far right.  Stitching that much took one evening.

Then next night I finished the divider row below the houses.

All that is left is the bottom verse.  I knew that would be a bugger when I first bought the chart.  There is a lot of fill-in stitching.  I didn’t get a big block of stitching time to do what I did get done. It took two nights and I’m only this far.

Here is where I am leaving it for the week…My focus is to just finish this.  For sure I’m pushing for a finish by the end of the month but sooner than that I hope.

I know someone is going to tell me, it’s not a race.  I know that…but I like to make goals and I like to finish projects…SO, I make goals and finish projects.

Being a quilter for so long and having as many UFO projects as I do, I don’t want that to happen with cross-stitch.  So, I’m pushing for a finish on this.

I thought if I took the frame and set it on top of the piece I’m stitching on might motivate me even more….and…IT DID.  I am in love with the frame and think it’s a good pick for this piece.

I am doing the finishing myself on this one.  It’s not huge and I really want to keep some of my costs down.  If I frame some that are smaller like this one I’ll have more in the budget to frame the big ones I don’t feel comfortable doing.  PLUS…I don’t have to wait for someone else to do it.

I am still wanting to put a little time into my All Creatures Great and Small.  I was only this far last week.

I only worked on this one night.  I am almost finished with the tree now.

The goal for next week is to finish the tree, the beehive, and hopefully Adam too.  I don’t want to make a big goal as I know I’ll be putting most of my time into A Changed World.

As far as the stitch along…I didn’t do a stitch.  I had hoped to do a short video but that didn’t happen with all the crazy family stuff.  For me to do that right I need to do that during the day.  By evening the lighting becomes such an issue.

If I had a little time, I checked out the Market Releases for Nashville Needlework Market.  The designers show their new charts.  Shops go and enjoy a cash and carry market.

I put a couple of things on order…This chart from Blackbird Designs.  I love the red in this…

I ordered the Blackbird Design book that came out.  I know I’ll page through this at bedtime many nights.  I am an oddball.  I take these to bed and look through them dreaming about what I want to stitch.
Blackbird Designs is different than some of the companies.  They quit printing their charts after a bit…so it’s a little bit of a buy-it now or you won’t find it later.

I’ve looked and looked for the chart for the pillow below…I even got swindled by someone when I tried to buy it on the second-hand market.  This chart is re-released and is printed in the book.  YAHOO!!  So, even if I only stitch this from the book, it’s better than spending all the time searching for the chart and getting swindled again.

I had a HUGE hope that this chart would be re-released but sadly, it wasn’t.

Does anyone have this and would borrow it to me?  I’d drop everything and stitch it ASAP.  I’ve looked on eBay through the second-hand market.  The chart is selling for $90.  No.  I won’t pay that.  I’ll continue to hope that either I can borrow it from someone or they will re-release it.

I also ordered this…

It is a compilation of recipes from the cross-stitch designers that attended the market.  Also included in the book is the chart to make this little cross-stitch piece.

That’s what I ordered…

There were other things that tempted me and I’m thinking about them.  I’d love this piece, Janet Barr Slater from The Scarlett House.  Notice the crowns in the middle of the chart?  We have five kids plus Kramer and I.  I’d love to put all of our initials under the crowns.  I love that there are seven crowns charted and I’d need seven….Hmm.   I also like the verse on this.

I might pick darker linen but other than that, PERFECT!!

I’m almost positive I’ll buy this.  I love the sewing theme and pincushions.  I just didn’t buy it now.  I am thinking next time I go to The Stitchery Nook to pick up or drop off a finished piece I’ll get it then.  I have trouble going to the shop and not treating myself with something.  This will be my treat then.

This next one…I love!!  Tulips that are red and a red house.  YEP…I’m in love.  This is another like the pincushion that I’ll likely buy at some point.  I’m guessing that there is some over one in this.

This one I think down the road, I will have to have.  They are perfect for my dough bowl.  I love them lots.

This rabbit caught my eye too.  So much spring/rabbit/Easter stuff is so cutesy and in bright pastels.  This would be perfect for my dough bowl too.

I liked this from Little Robin designs.  The colors are fun.

I liked this from Erica Michaels.  Can you see red is a theme with me?  I doubt I’ll buy this one even though I enjoy looking at it.  Stitching it would be hard.  Look at the border.  I’m guessing the count on it is not symmetrical.  No thanks.  I’m a pretty basic girl and like things that don’t require that much concentration.

The Stitchery Nook is having its market open house today through Sunday.  Part of me would love to drive over and grab a couple of these charts….Hmm.  I have Gannon here but he’s great in the car…Hmm.  Oh my.  I best not.  Now if Liz would call me and tell me that she was done framing my Heaven and Nature piece, I’d be there in a heartbeat.  That would be too much temptation to endure…New charts AND a finished piece to pick up, yep, that would put me over the edge.

Well stop back next week and see if I caved and went.  It’s so tempting…and see how far I get on A Changed World.

I’ve not had any cross-stitch questions.  How are you doing with the stitch along??